canned chicken
See also: chicken breast
Also known as: chunk chicken
Fully cooked chicken meat, packed in a can with broth or water -- a shelf-stable shortcut that skips cooking chicken from raw, useful for a quick soup or salad when fresh or leftover cooked chicken isn't on hand.
Buying guidance
Sold near canned tuna and other shelf-stable proteins; check whether it's packed in water or broth, since the broth version carries a bit more flavor into whatever it's added to.
Substitutions
- Leftover cooked chicken, shredded or diced -- fresher flavor and texture, the better option whenever it's available.
- A rotisserie chicken, shredded -- convenient and flavorful, though it takes more prep than opening a can.
- Canned tuna -- a different flavor entirely, but a similarly convenient shelf-stable protein in a pinch.
Tips & common mistakes
Its texture is softer and more shredded-looking than freshly cooked chicken -- simmering it for a long time as if it were raw chicken breaks it down even further and can leave it mushy, so add it later just to heat through.
Storage
An unopened can keeps for a year or more in the pantry. Once opened, refrigerate any leftover in a sealed container and use within a couple of days.